The perceived influence of remote working on specific human resource management outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Orientation: Remote work recently gained traction globally due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, however, not all companies promptly adapted to this.Research purpose: The study investigated the perceived influence of working remotely on employee productivity and performance management in South Africa.Motivation for the study: The ambivalent trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic and its long-term accompanying impacts have rendered research topics around the subject pertinent.Research approach, design, and method: A quantitative research approach was employed, and the sample population included remote workers within three South African provinces, between the ages of 18 and 65. The sampling method employed was purposive sampling with a complementary snowball sampling approach.Main findings: The results revealed that respondents preferred working remotely, as this was more convenient and cost efficient for them. However, respondents indicated that remote working caused them to work in isolation and longer hours than in the office to prove their productivity to their line managers and employers, thus impeding their social life.Practical/managerial implications: HR professionals should develop different policies aligned with remote work and restructure business operations in a way that aligns work responsibilities with the online working environment, as respondents felt their organisation’s current performance management and HR Policies were not suited for working remotely.Contribution/value-add: The study offers insights that could assist South African organisations to adopt more effective remote work structures and policies, especially those who will continue with remote work even after the pandemic.

Home Sweet Home? The Mediating Role of Human Resource Management Practices in the Relationship between Leadership and Quality of Life in Teleworking in the Public Sector

“…In addition, the scientific literature points to the importance of valuing teleworkers' performance to achieve better organizational results [1], thus referring to a leader who monitors the performance of their subordinates and recognizes their individual work [112]. However, [21] argue that the role of a leader is not limited to checking the goals and deadlines achieved by the team, which corroborates the understanding of [1] about the importance of a leadership that promotes healthier and more favorable environments for teleworkers.…”

“…(Re)qualification becomes essential for improving the development of skills and competencies [23,114]. In this perspective, leaders play a crucial role in fairly evaluating teleworkers' individual and group performances, especially when there is an expectation of recognition of efforts [112] and the applicability of knowledge acquired through TD&E in practice. In this way, another HRM practice is referenced-for example, the performance and skills assessment (PSA) of the worker that was carried out by the leadership-which will present effects [21] that may influence the perception of teleworkers about their quality of life in telework.…”

Remote Work in the New Normal: Contemporary Trends and Practices in South Africa

“…Remote work has become an increasingly prevalent trend in South Africa, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic [2]. A study by Saurombe et al [12] highlighted that remote work recently gained traction globally due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, however, not all companies promptly adapted this. The adoption of remote work has accelerated in South Africa, driven by advancements in technology and the need for social distancing measures [4].…”

Productive Innovation or Disruptive Irritation: An Exploration of Stakeholder Perspective on Remote Work in the Institutes of Higher learning in Zimbabwe (A Case of Midlands State University)

“…Remote work adoption is influenced by various factors at the individual, organizational, and environmental levels. At the individual level, employees may choose to adopt remote work for various reasons, such as enhancing work-life balance, reducing commuting costs and stress, increasing autonomy and flexibility, improving productivity and performance, or pursuing personal or professional development (Anderson & Kelliher, 2020;Saurombe et al, 2022). However, employees may also face barriers to adopting remote work, such as lack of trust or support from managers` or colleagues, fear of losing visibility or career opportunities, difficulty in managing boundaries or distractions, or lack of skills or resources to perform remote work effectively (Iwaniuk et al, 2021).…”